Wind Chime From Leftover Grout

I can never seem to gauge how much grout I actually need for tile work but having a little extra isn't always bad. I didn't want to see this grout go to waste, so I gathered some household items and created a wind chime. This won't make much noise like a wind chime made out of clay but is still aesthetically pleasing.

Since this project is mostly made from repurposed household items I will suggest that some of the items be changed out per your inventory. As you can see from the photo the main components are grout and ice cube trays. Advance warning though, the cactus molds were unsuccessful. The arms broke off while trying to get them out of the tray. Here is a list of the items I used for this lovely little wind chime:

• Grout
• Ice Cube Trays
• Wire (I used plastic coated and an uncoated wire specific for jewelry making)
• Wire Cutters
• Round Nose Pliers (for making loops on the wire)
• Embroidery Thread (Used to string the grout pieces together)
• Jewelry Head Pins
• Mini Plant Pot
• Dowel (a small piece)

Mix grout according to package details. I usually just try to get it to look like this milkshake consistency. I then spray the ice cube trays with oil to help the pieces come out without much resistance. Next, I just pour the grout into the trays and tap them on a flat surface to get most of the air bubbles out. If you like the look of the cavities from air bubbles then only tap them a few times just to make the grout level inside the mold. Then just lay them out in the sun for a few hours for them to dry. (About three hours in 95+ Fahrenheit degree weather) Thirty minutes after putting them out to dry I added a small cut wire into each mold.

Once all the pieces have dried you can take them out of the molds and remove any excess pieces. I push the wire back and forth to get a good burrow for the jewelry wire to go through. For the seashell pieces, I used head pins with jewels on one end and used the round nose pliers to create a loop on all the wires. I then used embroidery string to tie each piece together. The small dowel holds each strand and the wire that hangs out of the drainage hole in the mini plant pot. I hope you like this simple little wind chime solution for the next time you have too much grout or cement on your hands.